Training guide
10,000 steps a day is the goal on most phones and watches, but it started as the name of a Japanese pedometer in 1965, not as a research finding. Large studies that counted steps with devices have since found that more steps go with a lower risk of early death, heart disease, dementia and depression, that the benefits start at quite low counts, and that for most people they level off before 10,000: at about 6,000 to 8,000 a day over 60, and 8,000 to 10,000 under 60.
Those studies show links rather than proof, and health guidelines still set minutes, not steps: 150 a week of brisk activity. This guide gives the step numbers by age and goal, what pace counts as brisk, how accurate phones and watches are, and the ways of adding steps that worked in trials, with walking moves and follow-along workouts.
WHO, the UK Chief Medical Officers and the NHS set minutes: 150 a week of moderate activity, such as brisk walking. A brisk 30-minute walk is about 3,000 steps, and with your everyday steps, meeting the guideline comes to roughly 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day.
In a 2025 analysis of 57 studies, 7,000 steps a day went with a 47% lower risk of death than 2,000, 25% less heart disease, 38% less dementia and 22% fewer symptoms of depression. For death and heart disease, the curve bends at about 5,000 to 7,000 steps. These studies show links, not proof.
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In 15 studies of 47,471 adults, the risk of death fell with more steps up to about 6,000 to 8,000 a day in people aged 60 and over, and up to about 8,000 to 10,000 in younger adults. In women averaging 72, it levelled off at about 7,500.
The number comes from a pedometer sold in Japan in 1965, the manpo-kei, or "10,000-step meter". It began as a slogan, not a research finding, though it's still a fine goal if you're already active.
In the lab, most devices count within a few per cent of the true number but tend to undercount. In daily life they miss very slow steps, can count arm movements as steps, and a phone counts nothing while it sits on your desk. Use one device and compare yourself with yourself.
In trials, counting steps added about 1,100 a day over the first 4 months and about 450 a day at a year, and a simple pedometer worked at least as well as an app. Our suggestion: add 1,000 to 2,000 steps a day to your own usual count, rather than chasing 10,000.
Adults are asked for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strength work on 2 or more days. None of the WHO, UK or NHS guidelines sets a daily step target, and step targets haven't been widely adopted by government health agencies, though the UK guidelines translate minutes into steps for older adults (below).
At 100 steps a minute, a brisk 30 minutes is about 3,000 steps. Added to everyday activity, meeting the guideline comes to about 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day when it's measured directly; estimates that convert minutes into steps range from about 7,100 to 11,000. The UK guidelines put 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity in healthy older adults at about 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day in total.
Most large studies counted steps with a research device worn on the hip for several days. Research and consumer devices can differ by 20% or more, and in one analysis the links with death were stronger when steps were counted at the hip than with pedometers or wrist devices. In 212,048 adults, about 3 days of data gave a reliable weekly average, with phones needing more days than wrist trackers.
In the 2025 analysis, 7,000 steps a day went with a 47% lower risk of death than 2,000 (14 studies, moderate certainty), with the curve bending at about 5,000 to 7,000. In 15 harmonised studies of 47,471 adults followed for a median of 7 years, the quarter taking the most steps (a median of about 10,900 a day) had about half the risk of death of the quarter taking the fewest (about 3,550).
Across 17 cohorts, each extra 1,000 steps a day went with about 15% lower risk of death, and in another analysis of 12 studies, the risk was already lower at about 2,500 steps than at 2,000, with the largest drop at about 8,800.
7,000 steps a day went with 25% less cardiovascular disease than 2,000 in the 2025 analysis. In people aged 60 and over, risk fell steadily with more steps, and the most active quarter had about half the risk of the least active; in younger adults there was no clear link, but few of them had heart attacks or strokes during the studies. Another analysis found the largest drop in risk at about 7,100 steps.
In the 2 studies pooled in the 2025 analysis, 7,000 steps went with 38% less dementia than 2,000. In 78,430 UK adults followed for about 7 years, the risk was lowest at about 9,800 steps a day, about half that of the least active, and half of that benefit came by about 3,800 steps.
7,000 steps went with 22% fewer symptoms of depression than 2,000 in the 2025 analysis. Across 33 studies of 96,173 adults, people taking 7,000 or more steps a day were about 30% less likely to develop depression in the studies that followed people over time, and each extra 1,000 steps went with about 9% lower risk. Most of the 33 studies looked at a single point in time, which can't show which came first.
7,000 steps went with 14% less type 2 diabetes than 2,000, and for diabetes, cancer deaths, heart disease deaths and depression the link was close to a straight line: more steps kept going with lower risk. In 6,042 US adults whose own Fitbits tracked them for about 4 years, more steps went with less obesity, sleep apnoea, acid reflux and major depression, with protection above about 8,200 steps a day; for diabetes and high blood pressure, the benefit levelled off at about 8,000 to 9,000.
Every one of these studies is observational. People who are ill tend to walk less, which can make steps look more protective than they are; the 15-study analysis checked by leaving out deaths in the first 2 years, and the link held. Over 70% of the people studied were White, in cohorts from the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia, and the 2025 analysis couldn't give results by age. So treat the numbers as ranges, not magic thresholds.
In 3,101 US adults, those who reached 8,000 steps on just 1 or 2 days a week had a 10-year risk of death about 15 percentage points lower than those who never did, levelling off at 3 days. In older women, 4,000 steps on 1 or 2 days a week went with lower death rates too, but the link disappeared once their average daily steps were taken into account: the weekly total is what matters most.
Modelling from cohort data suggests that 5 more minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity, such as brisk walking, might prevent about 6% of deaths if the least active did it, and about 10% if everyone but the most active did. It's an estimate, not a trial result.
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No guideline sets these: they're the ranges where the benefit for death rates levelled off in the studies, with our starting points labelled.
Aim for 7,000 or more. The benefit for death rates flattened at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, and 10,000 is a fine goal if you're already active. For some outcomes, such as heart disease deaths, diabetes and depression, more kept helping.
Aim for 6,000 to 8,000 or more: the benefit for death rates levelled off there, and for heart disease, more steps kept helping. In 16,741 women averaging 72, about 4,400 steps a day already went with lower death rates than about 2,700, levelling off at about 7,500. The UK guidelines put 30 minutes a day of activity in healthy older adults at about 7,000 to 10,000 steps, and link 4,500 to 5,500 with a better quality of life.
If you take fewer than about 5,000 steps a day, any increase helps: risk was already lower at about 2,500 steps than at 2,000. Our editorial starting point is to add 1,000 to 2,000 steps a day to your own average over a few weeks; programmes in trials added about 1,000 to 2,500.
Lower counts are normal: across studies, people living with a disability or a long-term condition averaged anywhere from about 1,200 to 8,800 steps a day, and pedometer programmes added about 2,200. Start from your own baseline and add a little; the UK guidelines say any activity is better than none.
There's no step target for weight loss, and walking without a diet takes weight off slowly: about 0.05 kg a week in pedometer programmes. Our suggestion, which matches our weight loss guide: add about 2,000 to 2,500 steps a day, the average gain in pedometer trials, working toward 7,000 to 8,000 or more, and eat less as well.
Guidelines for 5 to 18-year-olds use minutes, not steps: an average of at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity across the week. Our guide to exercise for children has more.
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A company in Tokyo designed a pedometer called the manpo-kei, the "10,000-step meter", in 1965, shortly after the Tokyo Olympics, and the 10,000-steps-a-day slogan grew from it: that much walking was believed to be enough to lower the risk of heart disease. A 2004 review traced the number to Japanese walking clubs and a business slogan, and the authors of the 15-study analysis wrote that it isn't based on evidence but on a marketing campaign.
Yes, if you're already active: the authors of the 2025 analysis concluded that 10,000 can still be a viable target for more active people, but that 7,000 goes with clinically meaningful benefits and may be more realistic for many. The bands from the 2004 review are still widely quoted: under 5,000 a day sedentary, 5,000 to 7,499 low active, 7,500 to 9,999 somewhat active, and 10,000 or more active.
In lab studies, about 100 steps a minute marked moderate intensity for most adults aged 21 to 85, and about 130 marked vigorous intensity up to age 60; only 6 of 98 people aged 61 to 85 reached vigorous intensity by walking at all. A review of 38 studies called 100 steps a minute a reasonable rule of thumb.
People vary widely, and the numbers don't allow for fitness, so the NHS talk test leads: brisk means you can talk but not sing. To check your cadence, count your steps for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
Unsettled. In some studies, a faster peak cadence (the average of your fastest 30 minutes of the day) went with lower risk beyond the total number of steps. In others, including a US national survey and a study of older women, step intensity lost its link once total steps were taken into account. The 15-study analysis called the evidence inconclusive, and noted that the typical adult spent only about 5 minutes a day walking at 100 steps a minute or faster.
In 50,225 British walkers, those who described their usual pace as average or brisk had 20% and 24% lower death rates than slow walkers. In an older review of cohort studies, walking pace predicted risk more strongly than the amount of walking. These are links, and slow walkers may be less healthy to begin with (our caveat).
In a review of 158 studies of 9 brands, 45% of lab tests counted steps within 3% of the true number, and devices tended to undercount (by 9% on average, 2% at the median). In daily life, only 42% of tests were within 10%, with slight overcounting on average. In a review of Fitbits, steps were most accurate with the device clipped to the body for normal walking, worn on the wrist for jogging and worn at the ankle for very slow walking.
Many step counters start to undercount below about 2 mph (3.2 km/h), and most record only half to three-quarters of steps at 1 mph. Wrist devices can log steps when you move your arms without walking, such as during housework.
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In a trouser pocket, a shoulder bag or a backpack, an iPhone counted within 3% at walking speeds of 3.2 km/h (2 mph) and faster in a lab study, and iPhones were within 5% at 5 to 10 km/h in another. But in daily life, iPhones recorded 21.5% fewer steps a day (about 1,340) than a hip-worn research device, mainly because people didn't carry them all the time.
Research devices worn on the hip and consumer devices can differ by 20% or more, so your watch's 7,000 may not be a study's 7,000. Use your device to track your own change over at least 3 ordinary days at a time, not to check yourself against a threshold.
From the step-counting trials (a step goal helped, and simple pedometers worked at least as well as apps) and the NHS walking advice. The 1,000 to 2,000 increment and the order are our editorial suggestions.
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The movement on the figure: Treadmill walking
In 57 trials with 16,355 people, step-count monitoring added about 1,100 steps a day over the first 4 months, about 1,050 at 6 months, about 460 at a year and about 430 at 3 to 4 years. Simple pedometers worked at least as well as trackers and phone apps, and extra counselling or rewards didn't add more.
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In pedometer trials, people added about 2,500 steps a day more than control groups, and having a step goal was one of the strongest predictors of success. Blood pressure fell by about 3.8 mmHg on average.
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Apps and trackers added about 1,850 steps a day in trials, more when they sent text messages or were personalised, and a review of 39 reviews found about 1,800 extra steps a day and about 1 kg of weight lost.
In 42 studies of outdoor walking groups, people kept coming, and blood pressure, resting heart rate, fitness and depression scores improved, with no notable harms. The NHS suggests walking with a friend or joining a walking group to stay motivated.
Walk briskly for 10 minutes or more at a time (30 brisk minutes is about 3,000 steps), march on the spot for a few minutes during calls, take the stairs instead of the lift, and save a longer walk on paths or hills for the weekend.
The easy cardio workout is a brisk 30-minute walk, the walk after meals and the desk break add steps in short bursts, and the two interval walks add some faster minutes.
A steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wallA 10-minute routine for straight after a meal: an easy walk, a few simple standing moves from blood sugar trials, then a short walk to finish.
10 minBeginner6 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxA 3-minute standing break to repeat every 30 to 60 minutes at your desk: sit-to-stands, calf raises, marching, an upper-back turn and chin tucks.
3 minBeginner5 movesA bench or box, A wallA 25-minute walk with short faster bouts: notice your heart and breathing speed up, then settle. A gentle way to get used to the feelings of effort.
25 minBeginner5 movesCardio machine, A wallA 40-minute walk alternating 3 minutes fast and 3 minutes easy, five times over: the interval walking tested in Japanese trials, built up from three rounds.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wallThe walking plan builds to 150 minutes of brisk walking over 8 weeks; the weight loss plan adds steps around its strength and cardio days; the seniors plan pairs walks with strength and balance work.
A free 8-week walking plan for beginners: build to 150 minutes of brisk walking a week, with intervals, hills and two short strength sessions.
6 training days40 minBeginner5 days a weekA 12-week workout plan for weight loss: three strength days, two cardio days and daily steps, building to 200 minutes a week, with honest results.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week exercise plan for over-65s: strength and balance three times a week, short balance sessions and daily walks, based on falls-prevention trials.
3 training days40 minBeginner2 days a weekYour first four weeks: two, then three short strength sessions a week at home plus walks, building gently to a full routine.
2 training days20 minBeginnerMost people can add steps without a check: WHO says medical clearance is generally unnecessary before activity no harder than brisk walking, for people without a medical reason to avoid it. The NHS suggests speaking to your GP first if you haven't been active for a while, or have a medical condition or concerns. A step count isn't a health check, but if walking has become harder and your usual count drops without an obvious reason, mention it to your GP (our suggestion).
Stop and call 999 (don't drive yourself to A&E) for:
Benefits start well below that, and the curve for death rates flattens at about 6,000 to 8,000 a day over 60 and 8,000 to 10,000 under 60. 10,000 is a fine goal, not a threshold.
It came from a 1965 Japanese pedometer called the manpo-kei, the "10,000-step meter", and the slogan that grew from it.
The curve for death rates flattens out, but for heart disease deaths, cancer deaths, diabetes and depression the link was close to a straight line: more steps kept going with lower risk.
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Total steps carry most of the benefit in the studies, and whether faster steps add more is unsettled. Brisk minutes do count toward the 150 a week, so include some.
Pedometer walking programmes without a diet took off about 0.05 kg a week on average, and European obesity guidance says to expect no more than 2 to 3 kg on average from exercise alone. Steps help your health whatever the scales say.
Devices tend to undercount in the lab and miss very slow steps, can count arm movements as steps, and a phone counts nothing while it's on the desk.
Reaching a higher count on even 1 or 2 days a week went with lower death rates, though the weekly total mattered most.
There's no official number. In large studies, 7,000 steps a day went with a 47% lower risk of death than 2,000, and the benefit for death rates flattened at about 8,000 to 10,000 under 60 and 6,000 to 8,000 over 60. If you're below that, add 1,000 to 2,000 a day to your usual count.
No, but it's a fine goal if you're already active. Benefits start lower, and for death rates the curve flattens before 10,000. For some outcomes, such as heart disease deaths, cancer deaths, diabetes and depression, more steps kept helping.
From Japan in 1965: a pedometer called the manpo-kei, meaning "10,000-step meter", designed shortly after the Tokyo Olympics. It began as a slogan, not a research finding.
Under 60, the benefit for death rates levelled off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day; at 60 and over, at about 6,000 to 8,000. In women averaging 72 it levelled off at about 7,500, and for heart disease, more steps kept helping in over-60s.
The NHS doesn't set a step target: it asks for 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, plus strength work on 2 days. A brisk 30-minute walk is about 3,000 steps, and the UK guidelines put 30 minutes a day of activity in healthy older adults at about 7,000 to 10,000 steps in total.
There's no set number. Walking alone takes weight off slowly, about 0.05 kg a week in pedometer programmes. Adding about 2,000 to 2,500 steps a day to your usual count is realistic, working toward 7,000 to 8,000 or more, alongside eating less.
Total steps carry most of the benefit in the studies. Brisk walkers had lower death rates than slow walkers, but whether faster steps add more than the same number taken slowly is unclear. Brisk minutes count toward the 150 a week, so include some.
Close, not exact. In the lab most count within a few per cent but tend to undercount; in daily life they miss very slow steps, can count arm movements, and a phone counts nothing while it sits on the desk. Use one device and compare your own days.
A brisk 30-minute walk is about 3,000 steps. At 100 steps a minute, 10,000 steps take about 100 minutes and cover roughly 5.4 to 6.7 km (3.3 to 4.2 miles), further if you walk faster with a longer stride (our arithmetic from lab data).
It depends on who's counted. In 15 studies of mostly middle-aged and older adults, the median was about 6,500 a day (about 7,800 under 60 and 5,600 at 60 and over), and US adults tracked by their own Fitbits averaged about 7,700. In bands from 2004 that are still widely quoted, under 5,000 a day counts as sedentary.
No. Reaching 8,000 steps on just 1 or 2 days a week went with lower death rates than never reaching it, though your weekly total matters most. Spread your steps however suits you.
Walk part of your journey, take the stairs, walk after meals, walk with a friend or a group, and break up long spells of sitting. Tracking helps: step-count monitoring added about 1,100 steps a day in trials, and a simple pedometer worked at least as well as an app.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
